My artwork is the best expression of my reality that I can render. Reality's definition lies in perception, the vantage point available to each individual. It is impossible to fully communicate one's perception to anyone no matter what method of expression is employed. Language can play a large factor in one's definition of reality--reality is affected by language; one's catalogue of words and syntax molds his or her perception of truths. I will overstep spoken and written language, seeking a pure transmission of my reality to the viewer. The symbolism of words is not far from the language of images, and I think images are easily taken to mean different things to different people (as words), but it is my goal to present photographs that I have taken and attempt, even though true universal translation would seem impossible to display my reality in the moment captured by my camera.
By combining conventional photography with digital manipulation and unconventional and sometimes voyeuristic perspectives, I have composed my reality for the viewer. My reality is not the same as yours. The stealth of a snapshot combined with the interpolation of artist and the manipulations of the computer do away with the notion of "photo-realism" and spawn a kind of "composite-realism."
A camera does not capture reality. Neither does a painting. Neither does a song. Neither do my pictures. That is the point. Reality is not a law; it is a hypothesis, and the point of my work is to capture my reality and try to share it, hopefully reminding the viewer the analyze his or her own understanding of reality along with mine. Western perspective and Cubism were attempts to translate the three-dimensional "reality" onto canvas in different ways. I am not creating a formula for illusion. As the photographer I was present when the photographs were taken. By introducing color, composition, and various digital effects into the photographs, I am showing the viewer how I perceived the people and situations involved.
Pictures do not lie, but they do not always tell the truth. I am trying to show the viewer what a picture alone cannot capture. I am the syncretic photographer.
Benjamin Matheny